Pharmacists Boost Allergy and Asthma Care With Medication Management

Asthma affects about 28 million people in the United States, including 5.5 million children, while roughly 81 million Americans report nasal allergies. To better support this large patient population, pharmacists can turn to trusted resources such as the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and the American Lung Association, which offer online toolkits and educational materials to strengthen pharmacist-patient relationships and enhance clinical confidence.

Community pharmacists are in a prime position to close critical gaps in allergy and asthma care by leveraging their accessibility, communication skills, and clinical tools, according to Amanda Blevins, PharmD, pharmacy manager at Food City Stores. She explains that pharmacists often see patients more frequently than other health care providers, making them key partners in monitoring symptoms, identifying worsening conditions, and flagging new concerns. By maintaining open lines of communication with physicians and other clinicians, pharmacists can help coordinate care, optimize treatment plans, and support better adherence.

A major part of this collaboration involves using medication therapy management (MTM) services and tools such as NTMs and TIPS, which identify gaps in care. These alerts give pharmacists opportunities to reach out directly to patients and providers, adjust therapies when appropriate, and ensure patients are receiving the most effective medications for their allergies and asthma. This proactive approach can improve outcomes and make treatment more efficient.

Pharmacists also play a vital preventive role through immunizations. Vaccines for flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus can reduce infections that might otherwise trigger asthma symptoms or full-blown attacks. By recommending and administering these vaccines, pharmacists help lower the risk of complications in patients with underlying respiratory conditions.

“A good way to have a working collaboration between a community pharmacist and other healthcare providers is going to be having open lines of communication,” Blevins said.